Snoring prevention device

ABSTRACT

A device for preventing snoring stops pharyngeal snoring by making the jaw (7) and consequently the base of the tongue (4) project forwards thereby creating an adequate opening of the pharyngeal canal (5). The device also prevents velar snoring by holding the mouth closed by means of hooks (11) positioned both towards the upper dental arch and towards the lower dental arch.

The present invention relates to a snoring prevention device.

Two types of snoring are distinguished, depending on the localization oftheir origin. The first type of snoring, velar snoring, is produced bythe vibration of all the structures of the soft palate, i.e. the velum,the anterior and posterior arches of the tonsils and the uvula. Velarsnoring results from a vibration of the soft palate created by theinspiratory flow of air both nasal and oral, which makes the soft palatewave like a flag. The sound intensity of these vibrations is accentuatedby the opening of the buccal cavity which acts as a sound box.

The second type, i.e. pharyngeal snoring, is a sort of rale, of rattle,and even horn whistling. It is caused by the partial obstruction of theoropharyngeal isthmus by the base of the tongue with, now and again, itstotal occlusion by this tongue base becoming jammed against theposterior wall of the pharynx, according to the laws of fluid dynamics,thus causing cessation of breathing (apnoea), which constitutes thesleep apnoea syndrome (SAS). Here obstructive sleep apnoea is involved,as opposed to central sleep apnoea, which has a cerebral origin.

It should be stated that the two types of snoring described above mayeasily be combined in the same individual.

Snoring, which is always a nuisance for any person nearby, is notinoffensive for the snorer himself, primarily in the case of pharyngealsnoring accompanied by obstructive apnoea.

For some years there have been surgical techniques for correcting thissnoring. However, the maxillary surgery which pharyngeal snoringrequires is major surgery, with the operation lasting several hours andthe uvulo-palatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) correcting velar snoring is notwithout drawbacks. This explains the popularity of prostheses and otherpreventative devices.

The device proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,459 very particularly relatesto velar snoring and makes use of a lozenge which is meant to rest onthe soft palate so as to prevent it from starting to vibrate. The deviceis fixed by means of dental hooks. In principle it has no effect onpharyngeal snoring.

Some devices tackle pharyngeal snoring and, starting from the same factthat this type of snoring is associated with a retrognathia of the lowerjaw, they tend to cause an advancement of the lower jaw so as toseparate the base of the tongue from the posterior pharyngeal wall andthus extend the laryngeal isthmus. These devices have shapes whichresemble gum shields, such as used by sportsmen, boxers in particular.Within this family of devices it may be noted that the majority of themoffers a sort of respiratory duct, a little like the mouthpiece of asnorkel. Such devices are described in the following patents: U.S. Pat.No. 3,434,470; U.S Pat. No. 1,674,336; GB 1 569 129; DE PS 23 20 501 oralso EP O 312 368.

Other devices, on the other hand, concentrate on pulling the base of thetongue forwards, not by acting on the lower jaw, but by acting directlyon the tongue. Thus, in patent U.S. Pat No. 3,132,647, a sort of spoonrests directly on the tongue. Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,227, thetongue is introduced into a housing and remains there confined andpulled forwards by suction, a little as children do when introducingtheir tongue into the neck of a bottle.

To sum up, the devices already known may only tackle one of the twotypes of snoring described above. Some of them do not appear to beparticularly comfortable to wear. It is not necessary to dwell on theshortcomings of the known devices, as every one can very well imaginethe sensation created by these devices when worn. Doubtless in somecases snoring is overcome by the lack of sleep.

It will also be noted that no known device is able to keep the snorer'smouth shut, even if in the last patent cited oral respiration isprevented or proclaimed as such.

The object of the present invention is to propose a device capable ofeliminating both types of snoring, either separately, or simultaneously,with it being stated that this device assumes that nasal respiration ispossible. In other terms, the device according to the invention can inno way cover the case in which the snorer has a blocked nose.

The definition of the anti-snoring device according to the invention isgiven in claim 1. Embodiments are defined in the claims subordinate toclaim 1.

A device according to the invention is described below by way of examplewith reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a sagittal section of the buccopharyngeal region and isused as a basis to explain the two types of snoring;

FIG. 2 .shows a front view of the device according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the device according to the invention;

FIG. 4 shows the device according to the invention, seen from the rear;and

FIG. 5 shows a section similar to that in FIG. 1, but in theconfiguration which the device achieves once it is in position.

By studying FIG. 1 the bony palate 1, extended by the soft palate andthe uvula 3, will be distinguished. The pharyngeal wall 3 and the baseof the tongue 4, which between them describe a space, the oropharyngealisthmus 5, are also seen.

The configuration illustrated in FIG. 1, enables the two types ofsnoring to be described. Velar snoring is produced by the flow of twoflows of inspirational air. The nasal flow circulates over the uppersurface of the soft palate and of the uvula 2. The buccal flowcirculates between the lower surface of the palate and the upper part 6of the tongue. These two flows, which arrive from both sides of theuvula and of the soft palate 2, make them vibrate, which causes soundwaves which create the snoring. The soundbox which is formed by thebuccal cavity, amplifies these sound waves and makes them louder.

Pharyngeal snoring is caused by the narrowness of the oropharyngealisthmus 5. In fact, the passage of the air in such a narrow duct causesa rale, or even a horn whistling. Finally the complete coming togetherof the base of the tongue and of the pharyngeal wall 3 causesobstructive apnoea.

Although the essential part of the device is in fact made from a singlepiece and from the same material, a hard plastic, it is advisable todistinguish three parts, each of which has its own function. Withreference to FIGS. 2 to 4, firstly the upper part 8 of the device isdistinguished.

This part is meant to rest on the bony palate and to ensure thepositioning of the device in the mouth. For this purpose it isconstructed from an impression of the palate and made from hard plastic.Thus the upper part 8 of the device perfectly fits the palate.

The second part is the median support part of the device. As has beenmentioned, this median part 9 is integral with the two other parts. Itis shaped as a lateral protruding edge on which the upper and lowerdental arches come to be positioned. Hence the necessity of the making aprior impression of the two dental arches so as to model the mediansupport part 9 depending firstly on the inherent characteristics of theperson who will wear the device and secondly on the degree of projectionwanted for the lower jaw, which, once determined, will also bydefinition apply for the third part of the device. At this stage in thedescription it should be stressed that, contrary to most of the knowndevices, the device according to the invention does not propose to housedental arches in U-shaped channels or grooves. Therefore in the deviceaccording to the invention there is no component which is insertedbetween the teeth and the lips.

A third part or antero-inferior part 10 keeps the lower jaw forward bybeing placed behind the anterior teeth of the lower jaw. It can be seenbetter on FIG. 4. It is important to note that the force necessary toproject the lower jaw forward is not transmitted thereto by just theanterior teeth of the lower dental arch. In fact, all the teeth share inthe effort and this is one of the original features of the device. Infact, if the dental arches are kept in close contact with theirrespective impressions, each tooth offers resistance to sliding and tothe return to the natural configuration as illustrated by FIG. 1. Ofcourse, by simply pressing the jaws against one another, the wearer mayachieve this effect. But he certainly will not do this once he isasleep. The device according to the invention as it happens allows thiseffect to be continuously produced by itself ensuring that the mouth iskept in the closed position. The advantage of this situation is, asstated above, that oral respiration is in fact suppressed. The use ofdental hooks 11 allows to keep the mouth in the closed position. Thenumber, the shape and the arrangement of the hooks depend on thecondition of the mouth of the wearer of the device. As regards thedesign of the hooks, in all their details, the usual technique of dentaltechnicians will be relied on. It should be stressed that the use ofhooks has been proposed in one of the patents forming the prior art, butit will be noted that their function is by no means to produce theclosing of the mouth; moreover they are only applied to the upper jaw,which clearly prevents the effect sought in the present invention. Itwill also be noted that the use of U-shaped grooves, which have alreadybeen mentioned, excludes de facto the use of hooks.

FIG. 3 enables one to become more aware of the shapes and volumes of thevarious parts of the device and enables one to understand that the forceof contraction exerted by the lower jaw is not just expressed in aforwards-backwards direction but is partially transformed into avertical component which rests on the hard palate by means of the upperpart 8.

FIG. 4 shows the device seen from the rear and enables one to note thatthe tongue is free in the mouth and has at its disposal a space which isroughly equal to its natural space.

FIG. 5 enables the modifications produced by wearing the deviceaccording to the invention to be seen. It will firstly be noted that thelower jaw 7 is subject to subluxation and pushed forwards. As a resultthe base of the tongue 4 is also pushed forwards and is thus at adistance from the pharyngeal wall 3, thus producing a widening of theoropharyngeal isthmus 5, which is proportional to this projection. Itwill be noted that the uvula 2 is also better cleared.

Pharyngeal snoring is thus eliminated, as the oropharyngeal isthmusagain has adequate dimensions to suppress the rattle and the risk ofapnoea.

Velar snoring is also eliminated as, because the mouth is kept closed bythe application of the upper and lower teeth on the median part, whichare locked into this position by the hooks, there is no longer any oralinspiratory flow and thus no vibration of the soft palate either. Thefact that the mouth is closed and kept closed has the second consequencethat it can no longer act as a sound box. Finally, if there were anyresidual vibrations, their resonance would be stifled by buccalocclusion.

The device according to the invention of course assumes that threeconditions are met: i.e. the possibility of breathing through one'snose, the existence of an adequate number of teeth for fixing the deviceinto position and finally an adequate laxity of the articulation of thejaw. This laxity is determined by the capacity and the extent ofmovement, in the antero-posterior direction, of the lower jaw.

Given the specific character of the maxillo-dental morphology of eachindividual, it is not possible to obtain a standard device. Theconstruction of the device requires dental impressions to be taken and,consequently, collaboration with the doctor-dentist, who will proceed asfor a dental prosthesis. Once the device has been made according toinstructions and using the prosthetic dental technique, the patient willbe able to place it in his mouth and remove it as with any detachabledental prosthesis.

The tests carried out show that the device, after the initial period ofadaptation, is generally tolerated well and is only slightly annoying,but this can be easily overcome. Case histories, over a period of up tofive years in some patients, have not shown any deterioration in thetooth enamel nor trouble with the bite, nor with the implantation ofteeth nor with the temporo-maxillary articulation.

The necessary conditions of use being taken into account, the advantagesof the device according to the invention are essentially that it totallysuppresses the two types of snoring, and does this simultaneously, ifnecessary. On the other hand, the device is designed so as to have themost discrete presence possible in the mouth thanks to the fact that thenecessary space between the dental arches is reduced to the strictminimum which represents the median part. This characteristic primarilyresults from the fact that dental arches are not housed in U-shapedgrooves and secondly from the fact that it does not have any respiratorycanal. The realization of the device certainly requires the services ofspecialists in dentistry, which has a bearing on its price. However thedevice makes use of well-known and reliable dental techniques whichguarantee a result which is perfectly adapted to the person concernedand is no more annoying than any other dental prosthesis. Finally, thedevice enables the grinding of teeth to be suppressed.

I claim:
 1. A snoring prevention device, comprising:a one piecemouthpiece without an air aperture, having an upper element configuredto rest on the wearer's bony palate, a median element having a lateralprotruding edge to receive upper and lower negative impressions of thewearer's upper and lower teeth, and a lower element configured anddisposed to force the wearer's lower jaw into a position forward of thewearer's upper jaw; and retention means for attaching the device withinthe wearer's mouth and for keeping the wearer's mouth closed when thedevice is in place, whereby the device prevents any mouth breathing bythe wearer when the device is in place.